We carried out a review of the data available to us about Willowcroft Care Home on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Willowcroft Care Home, you can give feedback on this service.
We found the following examples of good practice
The provider had processes for allowing visitors into the service. All visitors were required to carry out rapid COVID-19 test prior to the visit and were provided with personal protective equipment (PPE). Visiting professionals were asked to confirm their vaccination status. At the time of our inspection only essential visits were allowed due to an outbreak of COVID-19.
People using the service and staff took part in the home's testing programme.
Staff were observed to be wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in line with current government guidelines, to ensure the safety of people supported, visitors and the staff team. The service had ample supplies of PPE.
Willowcroft Care Home is a specialist residential care home providing personal and nursing care to people with mental health needs, including people living with dementia. There were 37 people using the service at the time of the inspection.
Willowcroft Care Home can accommodate up to 40 people over three floors.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People received very kind and caring support by staff who took the time to get to know them. We were given lots of examples of how people had been supported to maintain their independence and achieve positive outcomes.
The service had an good person-centred approach which was embedded in all areas of practice. The provider and registered manager worked effectively together to ensure high levels of quality monitoring and continuous improvement. There were comprehensive robust systems, policies and procedures in place to ensure the safety of people.
People were kept safe and relatives felt their loved ones were in secure hands. There were enough staff on duty to meet people’s individual needs. The service had an effective approach to risk management. Infection control processes were in place and medicines were well managed.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was good (published 21 November 2019).
Why we inspected
We received concerns in relation to the quality of care delivered at night-time. As a result, we undertook a focused night-time inspection to review the key questions of safe, caring and well-led only.
We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern. Please see the safe, caring and well-led sections of this full report.
We reviewed the information we held about the service. No areas of concern were identified in the other key questions. We therefore did not inspect them. Ratings from previous comprehensive inspections for those key questions were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection.
We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to coronavirus and other infection outbreaks effectively.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Willowcroft Care Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.
Willowcroft Care Home is a specialist residential care home providing personal and nursing care to people with mental health needs, including people living with a dementia type condition. There were 39 people using the service at the time of the inspection.
Willowcroft Care home can accommodate up to 40 people over three floors.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People were supported by staff who were extremely caring. People and staff shared strong bonds. We were given lots of examples about how staff strived to support people to achieve fulfilling lives. Relatives commented how well people were valued. Staff appreciated people's individual skills, attributes and personalities. They encouraged people's independence and celebrated their achievements.
People experienced good outcomes because they were cared for by staff who understood what was important to them. Relatives described the improvements to people’s mental health since they had been cared for at Willowcroft Care Home. The provider invested in training and models of care which enhanced people’s lives.
The service's vision and values were person-centred to make sure people were at the heart of the service. The provider and registered manager were proactive in putting in place best practice in supporting people with mental health needs. Robust systems to monitor the service were in place so the provider could be assured that people were receiving good standards of care.
People and relatives told us it was a safe place to live. Systems and processes were followed so the building and equipment were well maintained and clean. There were enough staff to meet people's needs and medicines were well managed.
Staff were well trained to carry out their roles. People's care was planned and delivered to meet their individual needs. The home was well designed to enable people to be as independent as possible.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported people in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was good (published 26 April 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.
We inspected Willowcroft Care Home on 6 and 7 March 2017. The inspection was unannounced. The home is a situated in Sutton in Ashfield in Nottinghamshire and is operated by Bank House Care Homes Limited. The service is registered to provide accommodation for up to 40 people. At the time of our inspection 36 people lived at the home.
There was a registered manager in place at the time of our inspection. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons.’ Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
Risks associated with people’s care and support were effectively assessed and managed. However we found that action had not always been taken to protect people from risks associated with the environment, as water temperatures were above the recommended safe level. Swift action was taken to minimise this risk during our inspection.
Although people were supported by staff who knew how to recognise abuse and how to respond to concerns, action was not always taken to reduce the risk of people being placed at risk of harm.
Medicines were managed safely and people received their medicines as prescribed. There were sufficient numbers of staff available to meet people’s needs and safe recruitment practices were followed.
People using the service and staff were involved in giving their views on how the service was run. Quality monitoring systems had not proved to be fully effective in identifying and responding to issues, action was underway to address this.
The management team were open and responsive to feedback and took swift action on the concerns identified during this inspection.
Willowcroft Care Home is owned and managed by Bank House Care Homes Limited. It is situated in the market town of Sutton in Ashfield Nottinghamshire and offers accommodation and nursing care for to up to 40 people. At the time of inspection 37 people were using the service.
The service had a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run
People who used the service and staff at Willowcroft Care Home knew who to report any concerns to if they felt anything untoward had occurred. People’s care records showed that any risk to their safety had been identified and measures were put in place to reduce these risks. There were enough staff with the right skills and experience to meet people’s immediate needs. Medicines were stored, administered and handled safely.
People were supported by staff who had received the training they needed to support people effectively. People had consented to the care that they received. People’s rights were protected because staff acted in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act 2005. The principles of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards were understood and applied correctly.
People spoke positively about the food they received. They were able to have choice in what they ate at each meal and received support to eat if required. People had regular access to their GP and also other health care professionals when required.
People were supported by staff who were caring and treated them with kindness, respect and dignity. Staff encouraged people to remain independent wherever possible and where people showed signs of distress or discomfort, staff responded to them quickly. There were no restrictions on friends and relatives visiting their family members.
People received the care they needed in a way that met their needs. We saw staff provide planned care well. There was a range of group activities provided which were aimed to cater for the majority of those living at Willowcroft Care Home. Care plans were written with the involvement of each person and their family. They were reviewed regularly to ensure staff responded appropriately to any change in need a person may have. A complaints procedure was in place and people felt comfortable in making a complaint if needed.
The atmosphere within the home was warm and friendly. People living in the home were asked for their opinions with regard to the service that they received, which meant that their views informed decisions to improve the service. Staff understood the values and aims of the service and spoke highly of the registered manager. The registered manager had clear processes in place to check on the quality of the service and to ensure that any improvements identified were made and sustained